FORMULA 1

[MIKA27]

BROWN: WE DID NOT PROVIDE THE TOOLS FOR STOFFEL

Shortly before announcing Lando Norris as their driver to partner Carlos Sainz in the team next year, the team sent out a press release confirming that Stoffel Vandoorne will be axed from the team at the end of the season, ending two highly disappointing and frustrating years at Woking for the Belgian.

Although the tone of the release suggests that Vandoorne has alternatives on the F1 grid,

Vandoorne has had a dismal record against retiring Fernando Alonso, the Spaniard has outqualified his teammate 19 times in a row, and in 34 starts only been ahead of the veteran on three occasions.

Team chief Zak Brown explained in the press release, “We’re immensely thankful for Stoffel’s dedication, hard work and commitment during his time at McLaren. He’s a talented racing driver with an incredible list of accolades in his junior career.”

“We’re proud to have played a part in his break into Formula 1, from his role as Test Driver to his fantastic points-scoring debut in Bahrain in 2016.”

“It’s clear we haven’t provided Stoffel with the tools to show his true talent, but throughout our relationship he’s proved to be a fantastic team player. His work ethic is impressive, he has a great reputation within the team and we’ve really enjoyed working with him.”

Of course, we would have loved to achieve more success during our time together, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that he will always be a part of the McLaren family of grand prix drivers.”

“For now, we look to the future and to the remaining grands prix in 2018, where I know both Stoffel and Fernando will be pushing hard to fight for as many points as possible before we close the curtain on this season.”

“We wish Stoffel all the best in whatever direction he chooses to take next in his career, and we’ll be supporting him all the way. We will announce our full driver line-up for the 2019 season in due course,” added Brown.

Vandoorne’s demise, purely based on performance, was inevitable and it will be interesting to see if he races in all the remaining seven races of this season.

Nevertheless, the 26-year-old said in the team statement, “I’m very grateful to McLaren for investing their faith in me over the past five years. I joined McLaren as a young driver and have since seen my career progress within the team from Test and Development Driver to Reserve Driver and then to full-time race driver.”

“While we haven’t achieved the success we’d all hoped for, I’ve really enjoyed the past two seasons racing for McLaren and I have a great relationship with everyone in the team.”

“My time at McLaren has been a great chapter in my career and I’m thankful for the opportunity the team, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa and Mansour Ojjeh have given me to gain valuable Formula 1 experience and develop as a driver.”

“I intend to give it my all for the remaining seven races of this season, and will announce my plans for next season in due course,” added Vandoorne.

[MIKA27]

VILLENEUVE: TEAM ORDERS ARE FINE BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH

One way of looking at Mercedes engineering Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the Italian Grand Prix by using Valtteri Bottas to help his teammate in the race winning strategy as a superb example of teamwork, while others will see it as team orders out of control.

In the wake of a riveting Sunday afternoon at Monza, 1997 Formula 1 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, a pundit for Sky Italia, was not impressed with the manner in which Mercedes achieved victory on the home soil of arch-rivals and pre-race favourites Ferrari.

During a crucial spell in the race, race leader Kimi Raikkonen led, increasing the gap on chasing Hamilton after the pitstops but several laps later with the Mercedes on much fresher rubber the gap started to close.

At that point, Bottas led because he had not pitted and got the command from the Mercedes pitwall: “Keep Kimi behind you.”

The Finn duly obliged – sacrificing his own race – and the rest is history.

Hamilton was informed of his teammate’s help, he got on the gas, Bottas backed up Raikkonen (a silver sandwich) which allowed the world champion to attack and on lap 45 of the 53 lap race he pounced to take the lead where he stayed until the end.

Meanwhile, Raikkonen’s tyres fell off the cliff and he limped home in second. Bottas got third for his role as Hamilton’s wingman. Or fixer? Or blocker?

But, after the cracking race, Villeneuve was not impressed, “The manner in which this win came about is very disappointing. It is not a good victory for Mercedes. Team orders are fine but this is too much.”

“They decided to damage their rival’s race by using a teammate and even gave the command over the radio! Then they told Hamilton that Bottas was helping him at the front…”

“It’s too much information. For the past two races they have been using Bottas in this manner. It’s time for Ferrari to start playing the same way.”

The straight-talking Canadian also questioned Ferrari’s failings, “They have had a superior car for the past four races and they only won once. This is annoying.”

“They don’t take advantage of times when Hamilton seems to be a bit down. These opportunities cannot be wasted, because now [Ferrari] are superior but not out of reach,” added Villeneuve.

[MIKA27]

Lance Stroll: Williams ‘nailed’ weekend amid points return

Lance Stroll heaped praise on Williams after it “nailed” its Italian Grand Prix weekend, resulting in a return to the points.

Williams has endured a dismal 2018 campaign with its recalcitrant FW41 but displayed relatively stronger pace at Monza, with Stroll capturing its first Q3 appearance of the campaign.

Stroll rounded out the top 10, with team-mate Sergey Sirotkin close behind in 11th, and both were promoted in the wake of Romain Grosjean’s exclusion, giving Sirotkin his maiden point.

It ended a barren run that had stretched to nine Grands Prix and marked its first double points finish since last year’s Malaysian Grand Prix.

“I hoped we would score points but I didn’t really expect it,” said Stroll.

“We had good pace, were following [Carlos] Sainz the whole race, even catching him towards the end.

“I’m happy with the job we did all weekend. “We nailed qualifying, nailed the race, I think it was a perfect weekend.”

The result increased Williams’ meagre points tally from four to seven and Stroll expressed optimism that it can score again at the next event in Singapore.

“Singapore is going to be challenging realistically but maybe we’ll show up there and be better than expected,” he said.

“I’m going to stay positive, last year we had poor qualifying pace but from 18th came through and finished eighth.

“It’s one of those tracks where carnage can happen, always opportunities, a bit of rain like last year – you never know – will go there and hope to nail it again. Go big or go home!”

Sirotkin’s result ensured that all 20 drivers have scored a point this season.

[MIKA27]

Title rivals split on Singapore GP tyre selections

Formula 1 title opponents Mercedes and Ferrari have diverged with regards to their tyre compound choices for next weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

Tyre supplier Pirelli has nominated the three softest compounds from its range – the Hypersoft, Ultrasoft and Supersoft – in order to cope with the demands placed upon the rubber by the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Mercedes pair Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas will both have six sets of Hypersofts, four sets of Ultrasofts and three pairs of Softs.

Ferrari duo Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen have plumped for nine batches of Hypersofts, three sets of Ultrasofts, and just one lot of Softs – the set mandated by Pirelli.

Red Bull drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen will have seven sets of the pink-banded compound, along with three Ultrasofts and three Softs.

Force India and Haas have matched Ferrari’s aggression and will be equipped with nine sets of Hypersofts.

[MIKA27]

MARKO: WE HAVE A LIST OF TEN DRIVERS FOR TORO ROSSO

Toro Rosso will take their time on deciding their 2019 Formula 1 driver line-up as they give Brendon Hartley seven races to up his game before making a decision on him and they also have the task of filling the seat left open by Pierre Gasly’s promotion to Red Bull – apparently, there are many candidates.

Relative to Gasly, Hartley has underperformed considerably and indeed there was a time before the summer break when it seemed he would lose his drive before the season ended. In Italy, on Sunday his race lasted a little more hundred meters as he crashed out at the start.

With regards to Hartley, Marko warned, “There should be a significant improvement by him in his performances at the remaining races.”

Gasly has been one of the outstanding rookies of the season, his promotion to partner Max Verstappen a well-deserved reward for his performances in the Red Bull junior team.

As a result, a much-coveted seat or two may be available with the Faenza based squad and according to Marko, there is no shortage of candidates, “For 2019 there is no shortlist for Toro Rosso, but rather a long list of drivers. There are ten names on it.”

But added somewhat cryptically, “But I can already inform you that it is unlikely to be a driver associated with Mercedes… However, anything is possible in F1.”

One can strike Lando Norris off that list now that McLaren have him hooked after sniffing Red Bull approaches, while the other nine are likely to include the likes of Esteban Ocon, Stoffel Vandoorne, Jean-Eric Vergne, Sebastien Buemi and recent addition Daniil Kvyat.

[MIKA27]

BROWN: IF I WAS TORO ROSSO I’D TAKE STOFFEL IN A HEARTBEAT

McLaren team chief Zak Brown has called on Toro Rosso to consider putting Stoffel Vandoorne in one of their cars for 2019, despite firing the Belgian from his own team and replacing him with 18-year-old unproven Lando Norris.

Vandoorne has endured a miserable two seasons with McLaren, going from the ‘next big thing’ to another Woking outcast.

Ironically Brown, the man who wielded the axe, has become Vandoorne’s lobbyist in chief, telling reporters, “I definitely think he’s a Formula 1 calibre driver and if I was Toro Rosso, who appear to have two open seats, I’d put Stoffel in a heartbeat.”

“I think we’ve had a very poor race car for two years. Someone like Fernando can adapt quicker, he’s got so much experience. Stoffel was very close to Fernando — a lot closer than some other teammates as Fernando commented.”

“Stoffel is an outstanding race car driver. Ultimately we look to the future and feel Lando’s a future star. I think in a different environment Stoffel may excel more, and with a better race car. If I look at his debut races, beside Bahrain which was an impressive debut, but the 2017 season he was going to racetracks and losing practice sessions … so I’m not sure he ever really got the opportunity to get into a groove.”

But the stats do not lie and facts are that Vandoorne has been thoroughly outperformed by teammate Fernando Alonso, trounced in qualifying by the Spaniard for the 19th consecutive race, the harsh reality is he simply did not cut it at the highest level when he got his chance.

Brown conceded, “When you have a teammate like Fernando who can draw on that experience and I think is recognized as one of the best guys out there, Fernando’s going to adapt to that situation quicker.”

While Norris is groomed for the team’s future, Vandoorne is clearly not part of the script, but Brown wants to assist the 26-year-old, “Anything we can do to help Stoffel, we would help him in a heartbeat. We consider him family — he’s been outstanding to work with.”

“Hopefully, he lands in Formula 1, that’s where I think he deserves to be, but we have some other racing activities that you guys know we are reviewing and I wouldn’t hesitate to keep Stoffel in the McLaren family if there was a seat available and he had a desire to race in it.”

Finally, he was asked if Vandoorne and Alonso could team up to spearhead a McLaren Indycar programme, to which he replied, “Ah! Highly unlikely.”

[MIKA27]

FIA looking at 2021 for 'new iteration' halo

The FIA is aiming to introduce a second version of the Halo for 2021, while also widening its use in junior formulae.

The introduction of the halo received a mixed response among the motorsport community but its popularity has grown amid two incidents in Formula 1 and Formula 2 this year.

Fernando Alonso’s McLaren rode over Charles Leclerc’s halo in the multi-car pile-up in Belgium while earlier this year in Spain there were tyre marks on Tadasuke Makino’s halo in the wake of a collision with Nirei Fukuzumi.

Years of research into head protection has led the FIA to the development of the halo and in line with their approach on safety, they do not plan on slowing down in their research.

FIA Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting said: "There is further research going on for a new iteration, probably 2021, for a possibly more aesthetically pleasing to some.

"But that’s not the predominant reason for doing it. But I have to say the halo project was the most thoroughly researched project we’ve ever done, by a long way.

"We put an awful lot of work into trying to look at all the incidents where it may have helped, you’ve probably seen the presentations, we tried to assess what would have happened with or without it.

"It was a massively complex piece of research, it would have to be similarly thorough if we want to do another version of it."

In a separate video released by the FIA, Whiting and F1's Managing Director of Motorsports Ross Brawn discussed the halo and its development.

"We've got it in Formula 2 and we will have it in Formula 3 next year," Whiting added.

"Any new single-seater category will have to have to the halo, then we'll gradually introduce it into Formula 4 as and when a new car comes along.

"It is definitely filtering down and it will be on the Super Formula cars in Japan too."

[MIKA27]

Sebastien Buemi seat fitting fuels rumours at Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso has fuelled rumours that Sebastien Buemi could be set for a surprise return to the team as the Italian outfit looks to replace the departing Pierre Gasly.

The team posted a photo of the 2015-16 Formula E champion undergoing a seat fitting, captioned: "Ciao Seb! Our reserve driver stopped by earlier today for another seat fit."

Whilst it's not unusual for a reserve driver to undergo a seat fitting, it's often something that takes place before the season has begun, whilst a second fitting in the same chassis isn't so common and some would say unnecessary, unless a driver has drastically changed shape/weight.

Also, given it's happening at a time when the 2018 'silly season' is very much in full swing and Toro Rosso are hunting for a replacement to partner Brendon Hartley – or maybe even two drivers for an all-new line-up given Hartley's underperformance – and with limited options available after Lando Norris, a prime target for Red Bull, was announced at McLaren, Buemi is certainly a contender for the vacant seat.

Whilst it could well be an innocent photo, it adds to speculation as to just who might be announced at the Red Bull junior team, with only a handful of names being mentioned alongside Buemi's, including Daniil Kvyat and the recently available Stoffel Vandoorne.

[MIKA27]

Anatomy of an accident: Marcus Ericsson on his 'biggest crash'

Formula 1’s safety standards were put to the test last Friday at Monza when Marcus Ericsson suffered a terrifyingly violent accident during the early stages of FP2.

Heavy rain through Friday morning meant the entirety of running in FP1 took place on the Intermediate and Wet tyres, but the circuit gradually dried through lunchtime.

It meant slick rubber was able to be used from the outset of FP2 – and a design flaw with Sauber’s DRS was immediately demonstrated.

Ericsson’s DRS did not reattach as required under braking for the Rettifilo chicane, pitching him hard into the barriers, causing heavy damage to the front of the C37, while its trajectory meant Ericsson’s car was sent into a series of somersaults and rolls, kicking up dirt and dust in the process.

Ericsson was able to clamber from the wreckage, survey the warzone-like scene for himself, and was swiftly given the all-clear after a trip to the Medical Centre. Only a stiff neck when he awoke the following morning was evidence of the accident. “It’s quite incredible really,” said Ericsson. “It says a lot about the safety in Formula 1 nowadays.”

Sauber undertook the necessary fixes on both cars, with Charles Leclerc revealing that their different approaches to using DRS (Leclerc closes it manually, Ericsson with the brakes) meant a repeat accident was always unlikely anyway.

Ericsson, though, was left to reflect on an accident that he quipped “took the prize” for the biggest of his racing career.

“For me it was a strange one because usually in the way you crash you sort of… you know it’s a corner, you carry too much speed or you hit with someone else, so you see sort of see it’s happening before it’s happens… you sort of know why it happens usually,” he explained.

“But this was just so like sudden and unpredictable.

“I just touched the brakes and suddenly the car just spins in that speed and then it starts rolling and flying around, all while that was happening I had no idea was going on!

“I was like ‘why is this happening?’ when it stopped… in the end it was good there was nothing worse than that

“I was quite happy it was not a wall in the end because I think it was good I kept rolling until the speed was down.

“But I think it was three impacts that were more than 25Gs, rolling and flying through the air, was going on for quite a while and you get a bit shaken up definitely.”

Sauber broke the curfew in order to repair the C37, complete with a new chassis, and Ericsson participated in the remainder of the race weekend.

“I think the thing for me when you have a big crash, this was the biggest one in my career, but from the past when you have a big crash, I always prefer to be in the car as soon as possible after it else you think a bit more about it, what happened, things that happened,” he said.

“If you’re able to jump in the car the next day then you get into it and after a few laps okay you’re back to it, get the feeling again, start trusting the car, and then you sort of forget about it and move on.

“For me it was perfect to be able to be in the car again and like I said it took a few laps in FP3 just to build yourself up a bit but come quali I was right on it.”

Formula 1 Race Director Charlie Whiting also praised the safety developments that ensured Ericsson was able to walk away unscathed.

“Look at the violence in that accident and the wheels all stayed on which was a magnificent testament to the strength of those and the strength of the whole car,” he said.

“Recent focus has been on halo but there’s been so many improvements over the years to the strengths of the chassis with impact structures, wheel tethers, the height of the cockpit.

“All those things came together to help Marcus.”

[MIKA27]

FIA to discuss Sauber DRS issue with F1 teams' tech chiefs

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting says that Sauber’s Monza DRS problems will be discussed at a meeting with team technical directors tomorrow.
Marcus Ericsson suffered a huge accident in FP2 in Italy when he lost control under braking because his Sauber’s DRS flap did not close properly.

The DRS-induced crash prompted Renault's Carlos Sainz to call for F1 to do away with the "dangerous" system in its next regulations cycle.

Sauber implemented an overnight fix at Monza that the FIA was happy with, but Whiting wants to make sure that the problem can’t happen again by talking through the issue with the team tech bosses.

“We’ve got a technical working group meeting on Thursday, and we’re going to discuss that,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com.

“We checked a lot of DRS systems on the cars after qualifying, to make sure that none of them could do what the Sauber’s did.

“Theirs effectively had a stop, but the stop was easy to override, and it could go over the centre, and when it closed, when the driver brakes or goes off the throttle above a certain threshold, it’s slow to close, because it has gone over centre.

"They put these stops in it to make sure it couldn’t happen again.”

Nico Hulkenberg also had an issue in practice at Monza with his Renault DRS sticking in the open position.

“It’s not uncommon when you see a failure of the actuator, I expect,” said Whiting. “It happened to Kimi [Raikkonen] in Spa, after accident damage of course.”

[MIKA27]

Force India to change qualifying strategy after Monza error

Force India is set to change its "default" qualifying strategy after Sergio Perez failed to make it out of Q1 in the Italian Grand Prix.
Perez was well inside the top 15 after the first runs in Q1 at Monza, and the Mexican – who regularly tries to save tyres in the first session if confident of getting through – opted to stay in the garage.

However, the team underestimated how much the track would ramp up and how much slower cars would gain from getting tows. Perez was eventually bounced down to 16th, missing out on Q2 by just 0.001s.

After analysing the situation the team has decided that from now on two runs will be the default plan in order to avoid risk, and that it will only switch to one if it’s absolutely clear that its drivers can get through with their first run time.

“We made a mistake in qualifying unfortunately,” team principal Otmar Szafnauer told Motorsport.com.

“We should have sent Sergio out, and I think that ultimately cost us. But mistakes should hurt you, and they have. Our default now is going to be to run twice, as opposed to the default being run once.”

Perez managed to recover to eighth in the race, finishing behind teammate Esteban Ocon. Both men gained a position from the exclusion of Romain Grosjean.

“I think Sergio would have got Grosjean, but nobody else. It worked out well, he did a great job, he was faster than Esteban towards the end.

"There was no sense in swapping them, there was just risk. And he had great race pace, there were times towards the end he was the fastest car on track, so it was really good.”

With the extra points generated by the Grosjean exclusion, in just two races under its new identity Racing Point Force India has passed Williams, Sauber and Toro Rosso to take seventh in the constructors’ championship.

However, Szafnauer says that cushion won’t speed up the process of swapping Lance Stroll into the car, which is expected to happen at some point after Singapore.

“The driver change thing will be dependent on other factors. What we’ve got to do is keep our heads down and race well.

“We’ve got an upgrade coming in Singapore. I don’t know if anyone else does, hopefully that will allow us to score some good points.”

Technical director Andy Green says that the update, delayed by the team’s financial situation, is “a good step.”

“It’s a bit of everything, but it’s mainly aerodynamic.” said Green. “But there are some suspension bits in there as well. It’s a good step. Post-shutdown is when we normally do the big updates, so it’s slipped.

“The original target was actually before the shutdown, and then Spa, and then it slipped again. It’s currently on schedule for both cars to run in Singapore.”

[MIKA27]

Miami GP plan takes fresh twist as county mayor steps in

Miami-Dade’s mayor has personally intervened to cancel a delegation’s fact-finding trip to the Singapore Grand Prix, in a fresh blow to plans for a Formula 1 race in Miami.
The Miami Herald reported on Saturday that the delegation of county administrators – including Police and Fire Department chiefs – would travel to Singapore and get first-hand experience of how a F1-standard street race operated, in a trip costing around $18,000.

But on Tuesday, mayor Carlos Gimenez – whose son CJ has been lobbying in favor of the race – lifted a self-imposed recusal on the matter and intervened.

In a statement, he said: “Upon further reflection, I’ve asked the directors of PortMiami, Miami-Dade Police and Miami-Dade Fire to cancel their departments’ trip and to look for a venue closer to Miami-Dade County.”

Although the county delegation’s trip is off, a group of Miami city officials – including event administrators and Police – will attend the Singapore race as planned at the invitation of F1.

Plans to run the Miami Grand Prix in 2019 were shelved in July, and the next city-level discussion was pushed back until later this month. October 2020 is now the targeted date for the inaugural event.

Meantime, plans are progressing for the F1 Live fan event in Miami on October 17-21. The latest plan is to base it in the Bayfront Park area, with an F1 demonstration planned to run along 700 metres of Biscayne Boulevard, with a ‘donut area’ at NE 5th Street.

This event, as well as the grand prix plan, continues to face opposition from downtown residents, who are concerned about the noise and disruption they would cause.

[MIKA27]

Michelin could "recreate a tyre war" as F1's sole supplier

Michelin says it could offer Formula 1 fans the benefits of a "tyre war" spectacle even as sole supplier, if the sport’s chiefs ever decide that is a direction they want.
The French tyre manufacturer has kept a close eye on developments in F1 since it pulled out at the end of 2006, but recently elected not to join the FIA’s tyre tender bid from 2020 to 2023 because it did not like what was on offer.

Michelin was clear that the costs of producing 13-inch wheels for just one year, allied to a request for high degradation tyres, did not fit in with its company policy.

Reflecting on its decision and what could make Michelin change its mind in the future, its motorsport boss Pascal Couasnon has suggested that Michelin's real interest is in delivering something different for F1.

Couasnon believes that the success Michelin has had in MotoGP – where a variety of tyre choices have helped make the racing unpredictable – shows what F1 could have in the future if it opened up on what was allowed.

“Is F1 good today? That would be my question,” Couasnon told Motorsport.com in an exclusive interview. 

“The sport and the [tyre] manufacturer would have to take a risk, but compared to today [it could be good].

“Look at MotoGP. We bring three types of tyres for the front and the rear, and the riders can choose. You then finish the race with three different combinations on the podium.

“The best compliment we have received from journalists is that Michelin has recreated a tyre war with one brand, and that is what we would love to do for F1.

“Let’s not forget also in endurance racing for example, in GTs, we deliver specific tyres for each car because there is such a difference between a Ferrari, a Porsche, an Aston and a Corvette. And nobody complains because we work hard to give the best package possible, so everybody can fight. That is the philosophy we would like to bring to F1.”

Couasnon says that the decision by the FIA to impose 13-inch tyres for one season in 2020, and to stipulate high-degrading tyres, left his company with no choice but to decide against an application.

“When we were informed of the key elements of the tender, we looked at it and fairly rapidly we saw that there might be some very serious roadblocks,” explained Couasnon.

“Obviously the first one was the fact that we had to start a development of 13-inch wheels [for 2020], which really didn’t make sense. It would bring a lot of cost to something about which Michelin had a very clear position.

“Budgets are restricted and we need to make sure that we use the money on something that is useful for motorsport but is also useful for the car of tomorrow. So that was one very serious roadblock to start with.

“Nevertheless we were very encouraged with the fact that F1 has taken into account that proposal of Michelin [for 18-inch tyres] that we made in 2010 and that we have been able to implement in Formula E."

As well as the problem over 13-inch wheels, Couasnon is clear that his company is not comfortable with the kind of high degrading rubber that the FIA wants to have.

“The second issue in terms of philosophy was having tyres which degrade, and that again is something that we are not in favour of: spending technical resources and money for something that is not useful for the driver of tomorrow.

“Michelin wants to use technology to support the show, we are not just saying okay: technology for technology’s sake and we don’t care.

“You see that in Formula E, you see that in endurance racing, that it is possible to have a fight and a nice show with very good tyres. And the key thing is to really develop the package which helps the driver to express his talent and fight.

“We don’t believe degrading tyres to build an artificial strategy is the way to go for tyres.”

[MIKA27]

Whiting unmoved by Verstappen's 'killing racing' jibe

FIA race director Charlie Whiting says Max Verstappen's anger at the penalty he received during the Italian Grand Prix was "absolutely expected".
Verstappen was penalised for his late-race clash with Valtteri Bottas, with the stewards deeming that he had moved in the braking area and not left the Finn with a car’s width.

After learning of the penalty from his team, Verstappen said: “I gave him space. They are doing a great job of killing racing, honestly. Bullshit.”

Whiting says that he gives drivers the benefit of the doubt when they criticise his decisions during a race.

“I heard that second-hand,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com of Verstappen's comments. “I don’t think you can take too much notice of comments made in the heat of battle, but I’m sure at the next drivers’ briefing we’ll have a little chat about that.

"As I say in the heat of battle, that’s absolutely expected.”

Verstappen continues to challenge the penalty, having subsequently viewed replays.

“I’ve watched it back, of course, and I still don’t agree with it,” he told Dutch TV channel Ziggo. “Maybe I could have given him a couple of more millimetres, but he was on the white line.

"But yeah, we can talk about this for a whole lot longer, it already has been decided.”

Asked if the rules should be changed, he said: “One steward gives a penalty, another doesn’t. I don’t think it’s the rules.”

Earlier in the race Verstappen’s engineer told the Dutchman that he had played his only “joker” in reference to an incident where he locked up and straight-lined the first chicane when under pressure from Bottas.

Verstappen noted: “I saw he was quite far behind me, but he braked very late. At the last moment, when I was about to steer in, I was thinking that he might be next to me, so that’s reason I locked up and then I had to go wide.”

Whiting explained that the incident had no influence on the penalty that was given for the later tangle with Bottas at the same corner.

“They were unconnected,” said Whiting. “The 'joker', as you put it, was cutting the chicane, not actually gaining a place, but staying in front by virtue of cutting the chicane. Which is an advantage of sorts.

“We told the teams that we would normally give the driver one free one, unless of course, let’s just say, he cut the chicane the first time and gained five seconds and kept it, then we wouldn’t let him have that one.

“But this one he just stayed in front of Bottas. And you could in theory do that every lap and say 'I didn’t gain a position', but you stayed in front because you cut the chicane.”

[MIKA27]

McLaren: Ocon's Mercedes ties were "a tick in the wrong box"

Esteban Ocon’s close ties with Mercedes proved to be a turn-off for McLaren when it came to its decision on who would partner Carlos Sainz in 2019, its CEO Zak Brown has revealed.
Ocon was a strong contender for a seat at McLaren, and had even had a seat fitting earlier this year as the team pondered a potential mid-season switch for the youngster.

But the McLaren talks went quiet when Ocon looked set for a move to Renault instead, only for that option to fall through when the French car manufacturer took Daniel Ricciardo.

While Mercedes, which looks after Ocon’s career, pushed again to get him back in at McLaren, in the end the Woking-based team felt that the car manufacturer’s long-term control of the Frenchman was not what it wanted.

That is why McLaren felt that picking its own youngster Lando Norris, even though he is a rookie, was a better bet for the longer term.

Speaking about the Ocon situation, Brown said: “Ultimately, I think we want to have our own driver, and Lando is who we wanted.

“Esteban is someone that we rate extremely highly, and I think any time when a driver, you're looking to something long-term, has ties to another manufacturer, that's a tick in the wrong box.

“Hopefully Esteban will get a ride, or maybe stay where he is, because he certainly deserves to be in Formula 1. 

"But this manufacturer having a hold on these drivers is certainly something that is a negative when you are not with that certain manufacturer, and you want to have a five, or 10-year view on whether you can have the driver or not.”

Norris has been a McLaren young driver for several years and Brown has helped guide the young Briton’s career too.

He has denied any conflict of interest in promoting him to the F1 team.

“I've been looking after Lando before I started at McLaren and before he came to McLaren,” added Brown. 

“It's been very transparent from day one with the shareholders, and what we do, and I think I'm not the first person to have that type of relationship in the sport or in business.

“I'm not conflicted in any sort of negotiation and so it's quite relaxed around here. He's here on his merit and if he wasn't here he'd be in another Formula 1 team.”

 

[MIKA27]

STEINER: IF THEY CAN’T BEAT YOU ON TRACK THEY TRY IN COURT

Haas F1 team will not be distracted by ‘gamesmanship’, says Haas are appealing against Romain Grosjean’s Italian Grand Prix disqualification but will not let off-track ‘gamesmanship’ distract them in Singapore next weekend, team boss Guenther Steiner has said.

Grosjean finished sixth at Monza a week ago, a result that put Haas into fourth place and ahead of Formula One rivals Renault.

The U.S.-owned team were then stripped of the points, subject to appeal, and pushed back to fifth in the constructors’ standings by stewards after Renault questioned the legality of the Frenchman’s car.

Haas said the matter was being ‘actively appealed’.

“If they cannot beat you on the track, they try to beat you in court,” said Steiner in a question-and-answer sheet issued by the team ahead of Singapore.

“That is what seems to be happening. You have to work hard to be envied. We’d rather work hard for it and fight even more,” he added.

Asked whether he felt the competition on the racetrack was spilling into “paddock gamesmanship”, he replied: “Absolutely. Sometimes, you have to do that. You take any approach in racing. Is it the right thing to do? I’ll let others determine that.”

“This doesn’t distract me,” said Steiner, whose team are now in their third season and have ruffled feathers by striking a close technical partnership with Ferrari and contracting out as much as possible.

That has allowed Haas to be competitive with a far smaller staff than rival teams, like Renault, who design and build everything in-house.

“Our people know where they need to put the effort in,” said Steiner. “We don’t get distracted when we go racing. We try to always get good results in racing and leave the other stuff offline.”

The governing FIA said in a long explanation of the stewards’ ruling at Monza that Renault had argued that Grosjean’s Haas did not comply with a technical clarification issued to teams in July.

All teams had been given until Monza to comply but Haas had not done so, with Renault presenting photographic evidence to back up their case.

[MIKA27]

TODT: WITHOUT HALO F1 MIGHT HAVE BEEN BANNED

FIA President has spoken up in support of the Halo and related safety measures that prevented what could have been a tragedy with regards to recent big accidents, including the lucky escape by Charles Leclerc after the massive Turn 1 pile-up on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.

The Halo on Leclerc’s Sauber Halo showed evidence of tyre marks, a testament to the unpopular safety device’s effectiveness.

Todt told MN, “If you see Alonso’s crash in 2016, if you see Ericsson [last] Friday, you should spend some time and realise how amazing it has become and the progress that has been done. It is not taken for granted.”

“A few decades back, after that, drivers would not be there. It would be a big pain, because what was acceptable 40 years ago would not be acceptable now. And it could maybe mean that motor racing would be banned. Things have changed. So we must consider that.”

Todt acknowledged that the Halo did divide opinions as it tinkered with the age-old open-cockpit ethos of Formula 1, while aesthetically an eye-sore for any.

He reflected, “Sometimes, the frustrating thing is that when it was done, they [drivers] were not so much convinced. But in a way we respect what they do and they should respect what we try to do. We did it because we were convinced it was a good thing.”

“And maybe you know, it changed a little bit the design of the car. But honestly I love racing, I love F1. I am not in shock when I see a car with the halo.”

“My concern was, do they miss some visibility because of the halo? We did not want to introduce something where you improve some safety side, but you may jeopardise another one.”

“And they did not have any concerns. So for me it was obvious. And sooner or later we knew that something would happen,” added Todt.

[MIKA27]

TIFOSI: FERRARI SHOULD KEEP RAIKKONEN FOR ANOTHER YEAR!

More than 45,000 Kimi Raikkonen Formula 1 fans have signed an online petition urging Ferrari to keep the Finnish veteran with the legendary team for another year rather than replace him with rookie Charles Leclerc.

The petition, on change.org – under the title – Ferrari Should Keep Kimi Raikkonen For Another Year! – argued that replacing the 38-year-old was “not justifiable” and that the team needed him to keep the balance alongside four times world champion Sebastian Vettel.

“Kimi has also outperformed Vettel a number of times proving he is back on form and his drive in Monza just adds more credibility to that,” argued petition organiser Christy John.

The petition is highly unlikely to have any influence on matters, with Ferrari widely assumed to have already made their decision to replace the 2007 world champion with their 20-year-old Monegasque protege who debuted for Sauber this season.

An announcement to that effect is expected soon in Formula One circles, with the series heading to Singapore for next week’s race.

Raikkonen is the oldest driver in the sport and remains the last Ferrari driver to have won a title and one of the most popular on the starting grid.

Nicknamed ‘The Iceman’ for his often glacial demeanour, his dour nature and dislike of media and sponsor engagements has also endeared him to many fans who see him as a throwback to a bygone era.

The Finn appears to have softened this season, however, while raising his game on the track.

At Monza, Ferrari’s home track in Italy, last weekend he started on pole — after the fastest ever Formula One lap — and finished second to world champion Lewis Hamilton to record his 100th career podium.

Former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, who is now Formula One’s managing director for sporting matters, said he had noticed a change in the Finn.

“Since I returned to Formula One last year, I’ve noticed how Kimi has lightened up,” he said after Sunday’s race.

“It can be spotted in a host of little things, such as spending a bit more time signing autographs or smiling for cameras that in the past would usually have only elicited a scowl.

“This year, he is certainly driving better than at any time since he returned to Ferrari (in 2014) and maybe another chance will come along soon.”

[MIKA27]

ECCLESTONE: LEWIS AND SEB DON’T WANT MAX AS A TEAMMATE

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone believes that neither Sebastian Vettel or Lewis Hamilton would countenance Red Bull’s young star Max Verstappen as their teammate.

Speaking during an interview with Nico Rosberg for his Beyond Vicory podcast, “I don’t think any of the world champions would want to have [Max] in the team”

“I think he’d have a bigger job getting a seat in a team than Fernando [Alonso] has. I don’t think Ferrari would welcome him with open arms or Mercedes.”

“Put it this way, you wouldn’t be delighted if you were in a team… forget the word number one but assume you were the top guy in the team and someone says: the guy who’s going to drive the other car is Verstappen.”

“That is a different story. Sebastian wouldn’t want him, Lewis wouldn’t want him,” insisted Ecclestone.

In October last year, Verstappen inked a three year deal with Red Bull that will keep him with the team until the end of 2020.

[MIKA27]

KUBICA: IT MAY NOT HAVE THE HAPPY END THAT I WANT

Hovering in the wings and itching to get another crack at the big time, Robert Kubica is wary that what would have been a fairytale return to the pinnacle of the sport after his horrific accident might have an unhappy ending.

Kubica hs watched from the sidelines as Williams struggled to find the sweet spot with their F1 programme this year, with two inexperienced drivers in Lance Stroll and Sergey Sirotkin.

Nevertheless in the wake of suggestions that Stroll junior may be heading to (Lawrence Stroll owned) Force India even before this season is out, hope of Kubica making a return with Williams are high.

Speaking to Przeglad Sportowy, the Pole played down his chances, “For me, this is speculation rather than emotion. A lot happened in Formula 1 during August, but for me it’s not as if many doors suddenly opened or closed.”

“What I was trying to achieve was drive a Formula 1 car. Currently, the regulations do not help because there is almost no testing at all.”

“So my priority was to sit behind the wheel, but of course by signing a contract you have to be professional and in case something happens get in the car and do your job.”

“I could get into the car does not automatically mean that I will be able to do all the races. On the one hand, it would be the accomplishment of a dream, but on the other it may not have the happy end that I want.”

An empty seat at Williams is up for grabs as Stroll will move to Force India, if not this year, next for sure. One of the tha candidates is highly rated, Mercedes backed, driver Esteban Ocon.

But Kubica is not so sure that a Williams drive is the best thing for the young Frenchman, “If I was him, I would not be pushing too much for it, but I just do my own thing,” added Kubica whose team lie last in the championship standings with seven rounds remaining.

[MIKA27]

YOUNG DRIVERS POSE A TRIPLE HEADACHE FOR MERCEDES BOSS

Formula 1 world champions Mercedes may have to rethink their junior programme if young drivers like Frenchman Esteban Ocon are unable to find a race seat, according to team boss Toto Wolff.

The sport’s annual game of driver musical chairs is in full swing but Mercedes have a problem, with three of their highly-rated proteges still looking for a place and not enough available.

Ocon, a 21-year-old rising star at Force India, Britain’s Formula Two championship leader George Russell and Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein are all drivers Mercedes want to see in Formula One but who have nothing guaranteed.

“As it stands (we have) three really talented kids with the lack of opportunity,” Wolff told reporters in Italy at the weekend. “And this has come to a point now where we need to decide what we want to do in the future.”

Mercedes’ problem is that most of the remaining vacancies are at teams who are either linked to rival manufacturers or, like Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso, have young driver programmes of their own and promote from within.

They have little interest in drivers that Mercedes want to place but keep on long-term contracts.

Of the three Mercedes-powered teams, former champions Williams will need a replacement for Lance Stroll who looks sure to take Ocon’s place at Force India — a team now controlled by the Canadian’s billionaire father.

Williams are last in the championship and facing a big hit on sponsorship and prize money, however, and that means commercial considerations are likely to come into play.

Mercedes could offer a discount on the engines to sweeten a deal but none of their juniors would bring the sort of funding that others might muster.

Wehrlein, 23, has raced for now-defunct Manor and then Ferrari-powered Sauber but lost his seat at the end of the 2017 season.

While Mercedes found him a seat in the DTM German Touring Car championship, they are pulling out of that series at the end of the year to focus on Formula E.

Ocon was set to join Renault, but Australian Daniel Ricciardo scuppered that move by deciding to leave Red Bull, and McLaren this week closed another door by taking 18-year-old Briton Lando Norris.

Russell, 20, will leave Formula Two if he wins the championship.

Wolff said funding a junior team was not an option for cost reasons and the current model of support was backfiring if young Mercedes drivers ended up being ‘stigmatised’ by other teams.

“If we can’t find a solution for these guys, I question the junior programme in the future,” said Wolff, whose factory team has four-times world champion Lewis Hamilton and Finland’s Valtteri Bottas confirmed for 2019.

The Austrian suggested a solution would be for teams to field a third car specifically for youngsters for a maximum two years per driver.

“The costs wouldn’t be huge, the grid would be packed and we would have fantastic shows of new kids on the block coming up and fighting hard with the Valtteris and Lewises of this world and maybe surprising us,” he said.

“But owning another team just to have a place for your young drivers doesn’t make sense.”

The idea of three-car teams is not new and has been resisted in the past by smaller and poorer constructors who fear being further disadvantaged and squeezed out of the points paying positions.

[MIKA27]

How McLaren aims to avoid history repeating itself with young drivers

McLaren is confident that it can avoid Lando Norris becoming the latest young driver to have an unfulfilling short stay at the team, having appointed him to a 2019 race seat.

Norris will graduate to a Formula 1 seat aged just 19, his reputation having been enhanced by eye-catching test runs and multiple titles in junior single-seater categories.

McLaren’s recent history with highly-rated youngsters has been sketchy at best.

The team prised Sergio Perez from Ferrari’s academy for 2013 as a replacement for Mercedes-bound Lewis Hamilton, but he was ousted after just a year in favour of Kevin Magnussen.

Then-Formula Renault 3.5 champion Magnussen spent only a season racing for McLaren before he was replaced by Fernando Alonso for 2015.

Perez lasted just a year at McLaren

Long-term McLaren junior Stoffel Vandoorne stepped up for 2017 with a distinguished single-seater career that included wins in Formula Renault 3.5, Super Formula and a dominant title in the GP2 Series.

But McLaren is to dispense with the Belgian’s services after just two years and will instead line-up in 2019 with Norris partnering ex-STR racer and current Renault ‘loanee’ Carlos Sainz Jr.

“I think McLaren need a fresh start, and I think as a team, they need two young drivers who are willing to say ‘we don’t need to win, we don’t want to win’, let’s say, within the first two years of joining the team,” stressed Norris.

“I think as long as I do a good job and put in all my effort to proving that I’m worth it, then everything should be fine.

“I’ve been given two FP1s, a couple of tests, three tests, four tests, and I think within those few tests, I’ve proved that I’ve done a good enough job, especially in the FP1s where it really counts and matters, that I’m able to deliver when I need to and I’ve got the pace.

“They want to help me develop into however they need me to be, pretty much. Every driver is different, so I just hope whatever I do is going to be good enough, because it’s not that I just want to be with McLaren. I want to win with McLaren. I don’t think it’s going to be in the next two years, I think it’s more of a longer project than just being with the team for one year.”

On-track success has deserted McLaren in recent years but Zak Brown, who joined as its new boss prior to the 2017 campaign, says a changed culture that has been fostered will enable Norris to develop, recognising that its previous approach did not work.

“We brought in Gil de Ferran for the human performance of the team and the drivers and maybe historically we’ve not been great with young drivers because of the environment that we’re in so we’re looking for Gil to make sure we learn from some of the mistakes we’ve maybe made in the past,” Brown commented, having also accepted that McLaren did not provide Vandoorne with the machinery he deserved.

“My style and our style is I think you’ve got to make race car drivers comfortable and let them operate in a manner which you think you can get the most out of them.

Vandoorne will exit McLaren at season's end

“If you look at Alonso, I think Alonso is a better example of how McLaren operates today. Obviously when Fernando was here 10 years ago that relationship didn’t work and then here we are having pretty poor three years and I think you’d all say you haven’t seen him with a smile on his face as often as he has had. I think that’s because we’re letting him operate in a manner in which I think he enjoys the environment and we get the most out of him.

“[Lando’s] very mature for his age in the racing environment. He’s quite relaxed, you don’t see him get nervous, I’ve not seen anxiety out of him. When I saw him do FP1 in Monza, his build-up to that morning was no different to what I’ve seen in Formula 3. So I think he’s got a really good temperament for Formula 1 and what that tells me is I don’t think he’ll be rattled easily by adversity, which no doubt he will have at some point.”

Norris has watched from the side lines as Vandoorne’s McLaren F1 dream has soured into a nightmare. There are parallels between Norris and Vandoorne’s pre-F1 trajectories in terms of reputation and talent, but the Belgian has struggled to assert himself in the top echelon, the only driver on this year’s grid with a 14-0 defeat in qualifying to their team-mate, recognising that he has had difficulties in adapting his driving style to F1.

“I think if I can learn anything from Stoffel and from the team as to why they don’t think he was good enough, why they think I could be better, whatever I can [do] to help myself improve and whatever they can do to help myself improve…” Norris ponders.

“I think especially with Gil coming in, I think they have much more of an understanding now of what needs to be done for myself and Carlos and helping us improve and show what we can do.

“I think Stoff, I rate as a pretty damn good driver, probably higher than most other drivers on the grid. But yeah, I think getting put against Fernando, going into Formula 1 when McLaren are probably at their worst ever, it’s not easy, coming from championships where you can be in such a good team, always challenging for the win, and then going into a category where there’s so many good drivers, out of how many people and drivers in the world to be there with only 20 drivers, they’re all pretty damn good.

Norris has been given McLaren's backing

“I think it’s just an unlucky circumstance basically that he was thrown in at probably the deepest end possible.

“But yeah, I think anything I can learn from what he’s not done well enough, what he’s done good, even from the FPs I’ve done, I’ve already learned from him. There are things altogether which can help me and hopefully not go down the same path.”

The change in culture at McLaren should also be of assistance to Norris. Perez and Magnussen both joined a team entering a dip that it believed was a mere aberration, while Vandoorne’s promotion came in the midst of an assertion that the Honda partnership would flourish. It is little wonder that none of the three thrived amid the uncertainty and at-times toxic political manoeuvres off-track, and having to drive unpredictable cars on it. All three went up against World Champions in Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso and while neither went out of their way to harm their young team-mates, their presence and experience undoubtedly meant that they wielded more of the power. Going up against Carlos Sainz Jr. should release some of the pressure.

McLaren accepted earlier in the year that its ambitions for 2018 had been too lofty and acknowledged that it is an underachieving powerhouse which faces “years” before it can re-emerge as a front-runner. It is into that environment that Norris is being parachuted, with the emphasis from both driver and team very much on the long-term. There will be bad qualifying performances. There will be crashes. There will be moments where he has subdued races. Both parties must hope that lessons from previous mistakes can be put into place to ensure that Norris is given the environment and space to grow and develop – and do so with McLaren.

[MIKA27]

Experienced F1 driver wouldn't help Williams' plight - Lance Stroll

Lance Stroll has dismissed suggestions that the presence of an experienced driver in its race line-up would have aided Williams’ prospects in Formula 1 this season.

Williams is in the midst of one of the worst seasons in its history, having held last in the Constructors’ Championship for much of the year, taking points in just two events.

Stroll, 19, is in his second year of Formula 1 while team-mate Sergey Sirotkin is one of two rookies on the grid.

Williams last year fielded Stroll alongside veteran Felipe Massa, but the Canadian youngster does not feel that an experienced driver would have helped in 2018.

“I think I have answered that question a few times this year, I wouldn’t say so,” said Stroll when such a notion was put to him.

“Generally we are struggling in different areas this year and it’s been since day one with how the car has been behaving and the development throughout the year so I would say we are facing other challenges this year.

“If I take for example for McLaren, I am not in a position to comment on what they’re doing but if you look at Alonso, he has a lot of experience and [in Belgium] they were struggling the same way we were.

“We were almost the same pace in qualifying so you could say the same about them.

“I am just putting an example, I am not commenting in anyway about what they’re doing as I am not in a position to do that but that in my eyes says it all.”

Stroll, who placed ninth at Monza, also stressed that he has made gains this year, swatting aside suggestions that losing Massa as a benchmark makes a comparison difficult.

“I am still looking at some data, mine from last year and how I drove the car last year and how I managed tyres and other things, and I can feel generally that I am more complete this year,” he said.

“I am more on top of the car, I have a better understanding of how to get the most out of the car in qualifying and the race.

“Like with any team-mate, we are always trying to work together, get the most out of each other and pushing each other – it’s what a team-mate is there for. I think the same kind of concept this year.”

[MIKA27]

F1 bosses convinced Mercedes to save German GP

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admits that a pitch from Formula 1 chiefs Chase Carey and Sean Bratches convinced the Stuttgart manufacturer to support the 2019 German Grand Prix.
Mercedes was announced as the title sponsor of next year’s Hockenheim race when the 2019 calendar was revealed, after the German venue concluded a one-year extension with Liberty.

Wolff has always maintained that Mercedes would not get involved in promoting or supporting its home race.

However he insists that circumstances have changed, and that his bosses were convinced by Carey and Bratches that their input would make a difference.

“In Hockenheim on Sunday morning some of our board members were there and Chase and Sean pitched it very well,” he said when asked by Motorsport.com.

“We had full grandstands, lots of action, and enthusiastic crowds at Hockenheim, and they asked if we were able to bridge the [financial] gap.

“When they left we gave it some consideration, and had some negotiations over the shutdown. And then I pitched it back to the board and the board decided, ‘We do it, we want to keep the German GP.’”

Wolff confirmed that Mercedes will see how the 2019 event goes before deciding on a longer-term involvement with the race.

“I think it’s about finding out how we can best activate the German GP next year and see how to maximise it for the fans, for Mercedes people and for us," he said.

"We will try to put on a good show, display cars, and decide whether it works for us and whether we want to continue or not. We have an option for 2020.”

 

[MIKA27]

F1 all-electric future claims are "nonsense" - Todt

FIA president Jean Todt says that suggestions that Formula 1 will need to go all-electric in the future are "nonsense".
The growing interest in Formula E, both in terms of fans and car manufacturers, has led to claims that F1 may need to consider an electric future if it is to remain road relevant.

But the situation is complicated by the fact that FE has an exclusive deal with the FIA to be its leading electric single-seater championship until 2039.

Todt does not see an issue though, as he believes it is wrong to think that F1 will ever go electric.

“It is true that we have an exclusive agreement on single-seaters for a certain amount of years with the promoter in FE, but it would be a nonsense to say that in the future Formula 1 is going to be electric,” said Todt.

“It is not going to happen. Simply you could not do it. We are talking about two completely different categories.”

As well as grand prix racing and FE being attractive for different reasons, Todt says that there are elements of electric racing – like its lack of top speed – that would not be suitable for F1.

“FE has not the performance of F1,” added Todt. “At the moment one of the reasons FE is hosted in cities is because it would not create any interest to have FE on a circuit like Monza, for example. We are talking about two different categories.

“It is completely misleading to compare FE and F1. F1 is a well-established category and I keep saying that for me, FE is a baby of the FIA, so there is still a lot to learn. But saying that, it is growing very well.

“We started four years back, and we needed to have two cars to do a race of 45 minutes. At the end of this year we will be able to do the race with one car.

“It shows how motor racing can be a laboratory, not only a show. But to lose time by comparing the two categories is just boring.”